Mangaia: ‘We’ll always be here’

They say Mangaia is the oldest island in the Pacific at 18 million years. But with no doctors, its schools closing and its population dropping like a rock, the stoic remaining islanders are seeking bold new solutions. Photographer Fe’ena Syme Buchanan spent time documenting their lives for a successful New Zealand exhibition.

They say Mangaia is the oldest island in the Pacific at 18 million years. But with no doctors, its schools closing and its population dropping like a rock, the stoic remaining islanders are seeking bold new solutions. Photographer Fe’ena Syme Buchanan spent time documenting their lives for a successful New Zealand exhibition.